Like most other people, Randall Williams woke up Tuesday morning not expecting snow.

“The forecast called for little or no snow and a high of 37,” Williams said, adding that forecasters anticipated any potential snowfall ending around noon.

Like most other people, Williams, who is the superintendent of Russellville School District, believed the forecasters. When the snow began around 10 a.m., the Weather Channel predicted a 15 percent chance of precipitation past 11 a.m. and a 0 percent chance past noon.

But the forecasters were wrong.

Snow continued to come down until nearly 4 p.m. Tuesday, placing school administrators across the area in the difficult situation of deciding school cancellations with little-to-no solid information on what the weather would do.

Superintendents base weather-based school cancellations on three factors: the forecast, when the best driving conditions will be, and visual inspection. The first factor heavily influences the second, and an influx of parents coming to pick their up their kids combined with inexperienced student drivers could cause several wrecks with icy roads.

“Tuesday’s forecast for the snow to end at noon led me to believe that waiting for better conditions later in the day would be safer for all,” Williams said. “The worst thing you can do is to send the students out in the middle of the storm. Waiting gives time for the storm to pass and also gives city, county and state road departments time to improve road conditions.

“Tuesday ended up being a hard day to figure out. That’s what happens on surprise school days at your school district. There will be other similar days in the future.”

Ultimately, the district dismissed class early to give buses additional time to make their routes.

Williams also said schools do not count students absent when parents pick up their children before school is dismissed on snow days.